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Choosing a Motherboard: an important component of the computer

Choosing a Motherboard

Choosing a motherboard can be extremely difficult. There are so many different parts that connect to a motherboard and so many different things to consider. This makes it difficult to be able to work out which motherboard fits your budget and satisfies your needs.

What’s your budget?

The first step in choosing a motherboard is to work out what your budget is. How much are you willing to spend on your motherboard? The motherboard is a crucial component of a computer and if you don’t have a good motherboard then the whole computer will suffer. I would say that the motherboard should cost about 10%-20% of your entire budget. So if you are willing to spend $1000 then your motherboard

should be between $100 and $200.

What’s your CPU?

The second step in choosing a motherboard is identifying your CPU and making sure that your motherboard is compatible with it. If your CPU is a 478 pin Pentium 4, then your motherboard would have to have a 478 pin slot and be able to support Pentium 4s. The manual of the motherboard will have all the details as to which CPUs are supported so it is a good idea to check it before buying the motherboard. It would be immensely disappointing to have a good CPU and a good motherboard but find out later that they are incompatible. Also make sure that your RAM and Hard Drive (if you already have them) will fit into the ports on your motherboard.

What’s your needs?

The third step in choosing a motherboard is working out what your needs are. Do you need SLI graphics? Do you need extra USB or a firewire port? These are the questions you need to ask yourself. If you are a basic home user then most motherboards would suit your situation however if you need to connect to a wireless router then it may be a good idea to buy a motherboard with wireless built in instead of buying a separate card. Or do you want to connect a Video Camera to your computer then you will need a firewire port. There are so many extras that can come with motherboards so it is good to look at them and work out which extras you need.

My Recommendation

Computer motherboards are changing all the time so it is very hard to pinpoint a motherboard and say this is the best one. I feel that the motherboard is one of those computer components that you don’t be skimpy on. If you buy a decent motherboard now then it will be unnecessary to upgrade for a long time. I would also buy a motherboard with some extras. It is a waste of time and money to buy a cheap motherboard and then find out you need the extras after all and you have to go off and buy each extra separately.